Holidays, hills & buns of steel ...............

[goonkeepgoing]

Earlier this week we returned from a great holiday where I enjoyed some 'challenging' runs.

Run 1: Nearly to the end of the beach and back. It started raining on the way back so the sand was wet so it really worked the legs. Plus, as the photo shows, our apartment was up a steep hill so I braved one final spurt to get to the top. I had to stop with about 5 metres to go but hubby was impressed I had ran any of it

Run 2: Half way up the hill to the left and along the "Ocean drive". Fabulous views - I really enjoyed it. The kids were sat on the sofa watching a little red blob (that would be me) running around the hill. I waved my arms on the way back as that was the signal to put the bacon on. I didn't attempt to run the hill home this time ...................

Run 3: Off along the coast to the right (not shown on the picture). Again, stunning views. Got half way up the hill on the way back.

Run 4: Got a babysitter (love the grandparents ) and ran with hubby. To the top of the hill (it nearly killed me!) and a lovely pootle back down through the valley. At the top of the hill we stood hands on hips admiring the view and I happened to feel upon the fact that my backside was as solid as a rock. This hill running is fantastic for your glutes!!!!!

This morning I also ran my first 10k in a while and knocked a massive 5 minutes 25 seconds off my previous best time. I had challenged myself to do a sub 1 hour 10k by the end of the year. I didn't set out today to do anything fast so when I saw I'd done 7k in 40 minutes I was like a woman possessed trying to drag my flagging body to the 10k mark in sub 60 minutes. I did it in 58:41. Totally super chuffed. If only I could have one holiday a month in a hilly location - I'd be at Olympic level soon

I'm looking forward to seeing lots more holiday running pictures and tales on this forum in the coming weeks.

[Sparkyifhungry Graduate]

Great running, and a super advert for hills!

[misswobble Graduate in reply to Sparkyifhungry]

Great post!!!! What a marvellous run. Wouldn't it be fab if they could all be like that. I had to laugh at the waving to the kids to get the oven on! LOL

A lovely run followed by bacon. What could be finer? Oh, a PB perhaps! Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Well done

Take the rest of the day off. Enjoy the rest of your holiday

I am off to Bamburgh in a few weeks. I'm not fit to run yet but I'm hoping upon hope that I can run by the time that the holiday comes round. I have planned a 10 k. Bit optimistic I feel in the circs, but a girl has to have a plan

[goonkeepgoing Graduate in reply to misswobble]

We went to Bamburgh back in May (en route to Scotland). It is a totally gorgeous area. Hubby & I were discussing how lovely it would be to run the causeway out to Lindesfarne. I doubt we'll get to do it in the next 10 years (kids in tow) but we did discuss walking it next time with the kids.

I hope you have a great time and let us know how the run goes

[AdamB Graduate in reply to goonkeepgoing]

Just check that you've read the tide tables correctly if you run the causeway to Lindisfarne. Misreading them is one way to set a PB as you race the incoming water

[I once did my fastest puncture repair ever with the bike on the causeway - it's amazing how the lapping of water concentrates the mind]

[Irishprincess Graduate]

Fab fab! So well done to you. That's an amazing improvement on your PB, you must be well chuffed. So the answer is hills, hills and more hills then!

[goonkeepgoing Graduate in reply to Irishprincess]

Yep - I am going to be searching down hills to run up. It is good for a pert posterior too so double motivation

[AdamB Graduate]

Well done on that PB. With a little bit of hill training you'll be getting that 10K down under 50 min.

[goonkeepgoing Graduate in reply to AdamB]

Hah! I think it would take more than a bit of hill training! My super runner friend who does 10k in about 47 minutes has just sent me a lovely message referencing "the magical hour mark" and that sums it up for me. I have just remembered that at about the 3k mark when I was 'pootling along' I was thinking of coming back and searching if there were any flat, 10k road races nearby in October / November that would give me race motivation to hit it. It is bizarre that it just seems to have come from nowhere

[ju-ju- Graduate]

What a beautiful blog and so much holiday running. Sounds perfect to me, and lovely you can share your running with your hubby... I agree, I love seeing holiday running pics

[goonkeepgoing Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks! I will admit to thinking of you running up the really big hill. Hills are hard but very rewarding